


Looking Back

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/M, the death tag is because Jon mentions how he died
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 03:37:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8781499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Jon Jarl and Aideen go on a tour of Jorvik (though mostly the Harvest Counties) after Jon's death





	

According to legends (and the druids), the goddess Aideen only appeared on Jorvik in a time of great need. She was not selfish, being a goddess, so she had no need to appear for any other reasons.

The goddess Aideen materialised outside Jarl’s crypt, the wards forbidding even her from entering. She activated the Sun seal, then descended the small stone ramp. She felt powerful magic in the air, making her hair stand on end. Well, it would if she had a corporeal form. It made her shiver, though. She remembered casting that powerful magic. It was imperative that Jon Jarl remain in this state. He was needed to protect Jorvik. That was the official explanation, anyway. But, while the official explanation was true, the real reason for Jon Jarl’s continued existence was far more selfish.

“Back so soon, Aideen?” asked Jon Jarl, turning his flickering visage to face her.

“You know me,” said Aideen, and smiled. “I can’t stay away from you, Jon Jarl. Especially now that I can have you all to myself.”

“Hmm, though we must always meet in the same location,” said Jon. “I am tied to this place, as you must know.”

“Of course I know,” said Aideen. “I did help bury you, after all. And it is my light that keeps you here.” She stepped closer to him, reaching out a hand to touch his face. He took her hand in his and kissed it, and a smile blossomed on her face.

“You made my death not as bad as it could have been,” said Jon.

“I would hardly call dying of a poison dagger good,” said Aideen with a little scoff.

“No, that was terrible. But you were there with me through it. And I felt myself growing closer to you as I neared my end,” said Jon.

“Well, I couldn’t let you go,” said Aideen. “I lost you once, Jon. Never again.” Her eyes grew serious, and Jon pulled her to him and kissed her. The little well that held the stone that tethered Jon’s spirit was hardly comfortable, but Aideen did not need to feel the stone against her feet. Instead, she felt Jon’s arms around her, his lips on hers.

“How has Jorvik been in my absence?” asked Jon.

“It has been… not so good,” said Aideen. “I had to stop the residents of Jarlaheim from hurting your daughter.”

“Oh no,” said Jon, and sighed.

“The whole thing was a mess,” said Aideen, getting comfortable in the circle of his arms. They sat on the lip of the small well, illuminated by the bright white of Aideen’s Light at their feet. “The druids took Anne on the day you died. Her powers emerged in her anger. It was only natural for the cityfolk to be frightened.”

“I imagine that losing a king and princess in one day can’t have been easy for them,” said Jon.

“No, it wasn’t,” said Aideen. “Fortunately, it’s all under control now. Your daughter has control of the city and is back home.”

“I wish that I could see it,” said Jon. “I can only see what you describe to me. Your Light, though wonderful, tethers me here.”

“Perhaps I can show it to you,” said Aideen. “You are tethered to the Light itself, not just the fragment.”

“How many fragments are there?” asked Jon.

“Many,” said Aideen. “Some are powering certain things, but there are others that are not needed.”

“Aideen, your Light could be used for so many good things…”

“Well, perhaps I would like to use it to take my boyfriend on a tour of the island we created,” said Aideen.

“Aideen, the selfless goddess,” said Jon, chuckling.

“I’m doing it for you,” said Aideen.

“I know,” said Jon, knowing that she was half-lying. “Well, fetch this fragment so that we can take our grand tour of our island.”

Aideen dug in a hollow, scraping away at the dirt until the stone was revealed, glimmering in the starlight. She sent some of her magic into it, making it light up brilliantly. Aideen cupped her hands around it and returned to Jarl’s crypt, not having to unlock it this time because the wards now knew her magic signature.

“Now what?” asked Jon.

“Now I have to bind you to this fragment,” said Aideen. “It’s powerful magic.”

“So was creating this island,” said Jon. “Go ahead. My crypt can handle it.”

Aideen cast the spell, trying not to wince at the vast amount of magic being used. This was for Jon. It was definitely worth it. It was much less flashy than the original spell had been, without any of the flickering. Jon was simply in the well one moment, and outside it the next.

“It worked,” said Aideen, grinning. Jon embraced her, laughing with happiness.

Aideen and Jon finally walked out of the crypt, their joined hands clasped around the fragment of Aideen’s Light that was allowing Jon to roam around freely. If anyone saw the two, they would think that they were two ghosts. They would never assume that it was the long-dead founder and a literal goddess.

“Are you going to ride with me across the water?” asked Jon, looking at the ocean between Fort Pinta and another part of the mainland.

“Well, my harp is being kept elsewhere, so I can’t,” said Aideen. “But we are incorporeal, Jon. We will only sink beneath the ocean if we want to.” As she spoke, she stepped one glimmering foot onto the lapping waves. It stayed there, even when she stepped her other foot onto the water. It looked effortless. “Well, come on.”

“I don’t know…” said Jon, hesitating. Aideen laughed and took both of his hands in hers. 

“Come on, Jon,” said Aideen. “Just follow me. It’s easy.” She took a step back. “Just look into my eyes.”

Jon let himself get lost in Aideen’s eyes, just as he had many times when they were younger. To him, she looked as she always had- hair as red as fire, eyes as green as the endless grasses of Jorvik, a smile that made him weak at the knees. Aideen hummed, and suddenly there was a melody playing. They danced to it, two souls out on the water as the stars glimmered overhead. The stars were almost as bright as the dancers.

And then they stopped dancing, simply looking at each other. There was warmth and light in Aideen’s eyes, which hadn’t been there as often when Jon had first known her. He’d only begun to see it when she’d started to visit his crypt.

“I love you, Aideen,” said Jon. Her heart soared at those words, and Aideen forgot, for a moment, to hold herself on the water. She fell, and then the spell broke and Jon fell, too.

They dragged themselves, laughing, onto the shore of South Hoof. They did not need to appear soaking wet, after all the water didn’t need to affect them. And yet water dripped from Aideen’s hair and plastered her dress to her body, and Jon looked absolutely drenched as well. Laughing, he pushed his wet hair back from his forehead.

“You know I love you too, Jon,” said Aideen, sobering after they’d laughed themselves breathless. “I have since you were king.

“Yes, of course I know,” said Jon. “Only, because of our circumstances, we couldn’t be together.”

“But now, we are virtually free,” said Aideen. “I will only interfere when needed. My Soul Riders will protect this island.”

“I finally have you all to myself,” said Jon, pulling her into his arms again. He kissed her, and Aideen felt the warmth rush through her. Her hair, skin and clothes dried from the sensation, and when she opened her eyes, she noticed that Jon was dry too.

“Funny,” said Aideen, smirking at him. “As I recall it, I was the one who could never get you all to myself. You always had some important meeting to attend, or a war to fight in, or a wedding…”

“If I could have gotten away, I would have,” said Jon. “You must believe that.”

“It is in the past now anyway,” said Aideen. “There is no use dwelling on it.”

“Perhaps, but I still want to make up for decades of ignoring you and hurting you,” said Jon.

“Well, I certainly won’t mind the attention,” said Aideen. “But tonight is all about you. Shall we walk across to Epona?”

“Well, I would like to see the place where my son grew up,” said Jon. Aideen took his hand and led Jon over to Epona, crossing the land that would not be there in a few centuries.

Guided only by the light of the stars and moon, Aideen showed Jon the multi-leveled city where Jorvikius had grown and played. All of the residents were asleep, even in Nova Alexandria. Usually, the scholars there were night-owls, staying up into the wee hours of the morning studying ancient texts and making new discoveries.

“It was a beautiful place to hide in,” said Jon as they sat on a high ledge overlooking the city.

“And to grieve in,” said Aideen. “I met so many wonderful people here. One was a Soul Rider.”

“Will you ever tell me about that time?” asked Jon.

“Maybe some other day,” said Aideen. “I don’t want to ruin our date with my sad story.”

“Yes, some other time,” said Jon. “I suppose that the ‘no sadness’ rule rules out visiting Jarlaheim, then?”

“Of course not,” said Aideen. “We can visit your old home, Jon. In fact, let’s go there right now.”

Jon was nervous about visiting his old home again. Here was where he’d broken Aideen’s heart by marrying a Silfer woman. Here was where his son, and later his daughter, had been born. Here was where a General had stabbed him in the gut with a poisoned dagger. Here was where his grief-stricken daughter had lashed out at his attacker with tears in her eyes and magic burning in her blood. Here was where he’d died in her arms and gone into Aideen’s waiting arms on the other side.

But when Jarlaheim appeared on the horizon, Jon was glad to see that it looked very much the same. The walls still stood. The gates were still closed against outsiders. More farms had appeared outside the main city, and Jorvik Stables looked as magnificent as ever. Naturally, he and Aideen gravitated towards the stables.

Most horses would spook at the ghostly apparitions. But upon sensing Aideen, every horse in the stable, even the most skittish, greeted the goddess with affection and happiness. Jon watched her stroking the horses and talking to them, and felt his heart warm.

After greeting the horses, the two of them sat on the roof of Jorvik Stables and talked about things. They never talked about anything too serious, not wanting to spoil the date with sadness or anger. They kissed a lot, too, when they weren’t gazing up at the stars.

At last, when the sun pinkened the horizon and banished the stars and moon for the day, Aideen returned Jon back to his crypt. Seeing two ghosts walking around might frighten the locals. Before she bound Jon back to the stone in the shallow well, Aideen gave Jon one more kiss. He could feel how much she loved him in that one simple gesture, and he returned that love with a kiss of his own.

“Until tomorrow night?” Jon asked.

“Yes,” said Aideen, and kissed him again. “Until tomorrow night.” With that, she bound him back to the well and left. The very air seemed to sing with how in love she was. And now she could have Jon all to herself. They may not be living anymore, but they could be together in death.

Jon heard her singing from his crypt and smiled. He never wanted to make her sad again.


End file.
